BOE approves Friends of Education nominees

The USD 490 Board of Education approved the nomination of two people for Friends of Education Awards during their December meeting.

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By Julie Clements

Butler County Times Gazette

By Julie Clements

Posted Dec. 22, 2012 at 11:00 AM

By Julie Clements

Posted Dec. 22, 2012 at 11:00 AM

El Dorado, Kan

The USD 490 Board of Education approved the nomination of two people for Friends of Education Awards during their December meeting.

"Each year the administrative team brings to you a recommendation of people who have contributed over the year to public education," said Superintendent Sue Givens.

This year's nominees included Tom Faudere and Shirley Patton.

"Tom and his family have launched a huge initiative where they travel to get free supplies for the classroom for our teachers," Givens explained.

She said they have incorporated a lot of other people to assist in these efforts.

"At the beginning of the year, they brought out a flatbed trailer full of supplies free for our teachers," she said. "The bottom line is it doesn't cost our teachers anything and it is complete support for what they do in the classroom."

Patton is the executive director of the Chamber of Commerce.

"Shirley has gone above and beyond in her role as director of the chamber," Givens said. "She works on the 20-20 vision initiative. She has taken that to the point of not just advertising for mentoring groups, but actively recruiting members. She continues to beat the bushes for new volunteers every year."

Another way Patton has supported schools was being instrumental the year there were a lot of challenges to education and the Kansas Chamber was not expressing support for education.

The local chamber wrote a letter to the legislature saying the El Dorado Chamber believes chamber support of education is important.